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The dazzling new musical GHOST The Musical, based on the phenomenal Oscar winning Paramount Pictures film, opens at the Piccadilly Theatre in June 2011 and public booking opens from today.

A timeless fantasy about the power of love in which Sam is trapped as a ghost between this world and the next trying to communicate with girlfriend Molly through a phoney psychic, in the hope of saving her from his murderer. Ghost features stunning new music and lyrics by Grammy Award-winning legends Dave Stewart (Eurythmics) and Glen Ballard (writer of Michael Jackson’s Man In The Mirror), and also includes the unforgettable ‘Unchained Melody’.

Directed by the multi-award-winning Matthew Warchus, designed by Rob Howell and with extraordinary and stunning stage effects by Paul Kieve (illusionist for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), GHOST promises to be a magical night out that will send spirits soaring .

Grease The Musical, which was originally booking to 3rd of September, has posted its closing notices for 30 April 2011, at the Piccadilly Theatre.

The smash-hit musical GREASE is now in its third great year at London’s Piccadilly Theatre – the longest running show in the venue’s history!

NOEL SULLIVAN (Flashdance The Musical, Hear’say) stars as Danny Zuko and SIOBHAN DILLON (finalist in BBC’s How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?) stars as Sandy.

GREASE is the original high-school musical featuring all the unforgettable songs from the movie including You’re The One That I Want, Grease Is The Word, Summer Nights, Hopelessly Devoted To You, Sandy and Greased Lightnin’.

The smash-hit musical GREASE is now in its third great year at London’s Piccadilly Theatre – the longest running show in the venue’s history has extended its London run until 03 Sep 2011.

NOEL SULLIVAN (Flashdance The Musical, Hear’say) stars as Danny Zuko and SIOBHAN DILLON (finalist in BBC’s How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?). Radio DJ TOBY ANSTIS plays Teen Angel for a limited season from 25 January.

Skating legend ROBIN COUSINS will be swapping the ice rink for the West End stage when he joins the cast of the smash-hit musical Grease on 29 March 2010. The former Olympic champion and Dancing on Ice judge will guest star as ‘Teen Angel’ for a limited season until 19 June 2010.

GREASE is the original high-school musical featuring all the unforgettable songs from the movie including You’re The One That I Want, Grease Is The Word, Summer Nights, Hopelessly Devoted To You, Sandy and Greased Lightnin’.

The former Olympics champion and Dancing on Icejudge Robin Cousins will guest star as ‘Teen Angel’ in the smash hit musical Grease for a limited season until 19th of June 2010 at Piccadilly Theatre.

Robin Cousins is one of Britains most famous and best loved individual ice skaters. He won the World Free Skating Championship Gold medal for three consecutive years from 1978 and rose to the top in 1980, winning World Championship Silver and capping his amateur career with the European Championship and Olympic Gold medals. During his highly successful career as a professional skater, Robin made several appearances as a guest star with Holiday on Ice and Ice Capades (USA). As a director and choreographer, he has worked extensively on shows for the ice spectacular Holiday on Ice including Spirit (currently touring the UK). His choreographic achievements also include ice interpretations of The Wizard of Oz, Starlight Express and Disneys Toy Story along with many shows for his own ice company such as Electric Ice, which enjoyed a worldwide tour and sell-out run in London. Away from the ice, Robin has forged a successful career in theatre including starring roles in acclaimed shows such as Cats, The Rocky Horror Show (in the West End) and Rodgers and Hammersteins Cinderella. Robin retired from the ice rink in 2000, after 30 years on the ice and 20 years of professional skating. He is currently commentating for the BBC on figure skating at the Winter Olympics 2010, which marks the 3oth anniversary of his Olympic Gold win (Lake Placid, 1980). After this, Robin will return to the ice panel of ITV1s hit show Dancing on Ice where he will reside as head judge for the series before gliding into Grease on 29 March.

Singer and television star Ray Quinn will be swapping his ice skates for his dancing shoes when he joins the cast of the smash-hit musical Grease. Ray will play the lead role of ‘Danny’ for a limited season from 11 May to 3 October 2009 at The Piccadilly Theatre. Further casting to be announced.

Former X-Factor finalist Ray is winning the nation’s hearts all over again on the popular ITV show Dancing on Ice. The skate superstar has been dazzling audiences and lighting up the rink with stunning performances week after week. Ray is a hot contender in the race to become champion of the celebrity ice dance contest which has its final on 22 March. He will complete the live UK tour of Dancing on Ice before skating into Grease on 11 May, where he is set to thrill and charm audiences as ‘Danny’.

Following in the footsteps of screen idol John Travolta, Ray will play leader of the T-Birds gang ‘Danny’ having previously played the role of ‘Doody’. Travolta famously played ‘Danny Zuko’ in the iconic 1978 movie but was discovered playing ‘Doody’ in the 1972 North American touring production.

Looking forward to his role in Grease, Ray says: “’I’m so thrilled to be playing ‘Danny’ in the West End. Grease is such an all time favourite and to be in the role made so famous by John Travolta is amazing- I can’t believe my luck, it’s a dream come true!”

The smash-hit musical GREASE has now extended bookings through to 31 October 2009. GREASE features all the unforgettable hit songs from the movie including You’re The One That I Want, Grease Is The Word, Summer Nights, Hopelessly Devoted To You, Sandy and Greased Lightnin’.

Legendary singer Jimmy Osmond will be swapping ‘Long Haired Lover from Liverpool‘ for ‘Beauty School Drop Out‘ when he joins the cast of the smash-hit musical GREASE early next year.

Making his West End debut, Jimmy will play ‘Teen Angel‘ for a limited season from 19 January to 14 March at The Piccadilly Theatre.

Having won British audience’s hearts all over again when he appeared in the popular ITV show I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, Jimmy recently completed a hugely successful tour of Britain with his family.

Producer David Ian says, “Jimmy Osmond is truly a worldwide star and to have him starring in Grease, the UK’s Number 1 musical, is as exciting as it gets for London’s Theatre fans!”

Ray Quinn, making his West End debut, has joined the cast of GREASE in the role of Doody for a limited season – until 15 November 2008. Ray recently appeared on our screens in a head-to-head with Leona Lewis in the race to become X-Factor champion. He began his acting career in Channel 4’s hugely popular soap Brookside and is already the bearer of a No 1. Platinum selling album Doing It My Way’.

Having completed his own sell-out tour, Ray is now rockin ‘n’ rolling all-summer-long in GREASE.

Producer David Ian says, “I’m absolutely thrilled. This production has been wowing audiences for 15 years now and with the terrific Ray Quinn joining us as a special guest star, I know it’s the one that audiences will want for years to come!”

Grease was always supposed to be about an age of innocence tinged with sexual awakening, a paean to first love and first cigarettes, Cadillac cars and dance night in the school gym. Once upon a time in the West End, this seemed like a good idea; Richard Gere was the first, very good, UK Danny at the New London in 1973 (Elaine Paige had a small role).

Somehow, with the passing years and the iconic elevation of the very bad 1978 movie starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton- John, the fun has been squeezed out of it, and any residual charm in Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey’s ersatz rock and roll musical flattened in a rush to the finale of selected highlights.
As at the opening of this production by David Gilmore in 1993, I feel defeated by decibel levels and churlish with disappointment. The amplification has a tinny, invasive quality that’s the enemy of musical enjoyment, and when things quieten down a bit in the second act – you can actually hear some good rhythm guitar in “Sandy” at the drive-in movie – the songs are less good than the frantic ones.

For those who could bear to watch the entertainment abomination that was Grease Is the Word on ITV earlier this year, a verdict is required on the performances of 19 year-old Danny Bayne as Danny Zuko and 24 year-old Susan McFadden (sister of Brian McFadden, the Westlife pop singer) as Sandy Dumbrowski. That verdict is mixed. It’s impossible to isolate acting talent, or even personality impact, in the first half because the entire cast is encouraged to squeal, squawk, face-pull and cackle like a cage full of angry baboons in the zoo. No one bears even a passing resemblance to a human being.

But as Arlene Phillips’ whiplash musical staging (re-created by Stori James) kicks in, you can see that Bayne does indeed have a powerful stage presence and his command of the moves is total (it turns out he’s been British champion in hip-hop, freestyle and Latin American dance for years). McFadden’s Sandy, however, remains a dumb cluck even when she dons the black leotard and says goodbye to the wholesome image of Sandra Dee that has hampered her pulling progress. She’s sweet enough, but nothing special, and her singing lacks depth or resonance.

Terry Parsons’ design remains as colourful as it was, though the floating Cadillacs have gone and the sun shines with far less golden intensity on the bleachers. Thin strips of red neon light make a good design link between the local DJ’s recording studio and the high school, where everyone seems to be about 35 years old.

Jayde Westaby makes a mark as the suddenly pregnant Rizzo and Charlie Cameron is a prettily pneumatic Marti. Siobhan Dillon, one of the best of the runners-up in the BBC search for Maria programme, whom Grease co-producer David Ian slobbered over in the adjudications, is rather hidden away as Patty but will surely have a second chance in the near future.
– Michael Coveney